


Runaway Snakes

by Erikapell



Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-02-07 16:26:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12845013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erikapell/pseuds/Erikapell
Summary: Betty cooper is a teenage runaway, running from Things much more dangerous than the tiny town of Riverdale. Six months in she’s picked up by an older man on a motorcycle with a very strange logo on the back of his leather jacket. Fp Jones Tells the beautiful blonde girl on the side of the road he has a son her age and he cant leave her walking the roads, he offers her a place to stay, Betty is quickly pulled into the life of a Southside Serpent. The moment young Serpent Prince, Jughead Jones, sees her he knows he’s a goner. However he might just have to fight every other Serpent in the world to make the mysterious, damaged blonde, his girl. These two teenage outcasts are about to find out Sometimes there are things bigger than motorcycles and broken bones.





	1. Chapter 1

Her ankles were sore and she was covered in a thin layer of dust , her skintight jeans were looser than they had been but she figured that was to be expected considering she hadn’t eaten a full meal in about two weeks. The road she was currently on seemed to go on for hours and there wasn’t a car in sight, like the last year of Betty Coopers life the beautiful blonde teenager was completely on her own, just her and the road. But.. she was so tired, so tired of hiding, of late nights sleeping in bus stations, 18 hour shifts at diners just to pay for the shotty motels in the dirty cities she kept company.

She was so tired of running.

Betty Cooper was sixteen years old, ”just a kid”, were the disappointed words uttered in her direction every time the run down, dirty blonde would beg for a waitress job or sign in at a motel, a black backpack holding all of her possessions. She was a fighter, small and stealthy, able to hide in the smallest places, a sense of “fight or flight” earned by years of abuse at the hands of multiple foster families. Her life had been..tough, but she was grateful, she was proud. She had survived, she was here and that had to mean something, it meant everything.

There was a low rumble coming from behind her, growing increasingly louder as she squinted, the sun beating down on her back. It was almost instinct for her thumb to stick out, hitch hiking came with the whole runaway thing, it was dangerous and there had been some.. not quite standup men who had offered her a ride but her body could only take so much more walking. Suddenly she was pushed back, Motorcycles, a gang, raced past her, her long blonde hair flying back as she tried desperately to make one of them stop, just a ride, not too far.

But no one stopped, they just kept riding, at least that what she thought as she watched helplessly, a disappointed huff leaving her lips. “whatever” she whispered, picking her backpack off the ground and hiking it over her shoulder. 

“where ya headed?”

tThe low rumble of the unfamiliar voice had her whipping around, eyes widening at the bearded man seated on his Harley, a smile on his face as he stared at Betty expectantly.

“Oh! I’m so sorry I didn’t know you had stopped.” Betty apologized, remembering her manners instantly “ anywhere would be great, I’m just not sure where this road ends and Id love to get to a town before dark.”

The man stood from his bike   
“ you do this a lot?” he questioned.

Betty cheeks flamed scarlet at the mans knowing eyes.  
“ I…You could say that.” she answered, eyes looking anywhere but his.

“God, you’ve gotta be..what? fifteen?” he came to stand directly across from her, hands buried in his leather jacket, an intimidating snake tail curling over his shoulder, Southside Serpents written on the back.

“ I’m sixteen.” her eyes snapped back to the older mans, an undeniable fire sparking through her deep green eyes, she wasn’t going to let anyone mock her, make her feel small.

The bearded man smirked, enjoying the fire in her eyes   
“I’ve got a boy your age. My son.. he reminds me a lot of you actually.”

Betty ran her fingers through her blonde curls, any talk of family always made her uncomfortable.  
“ oh, I umm.. anyway about that ride? it doesn’t have to be far, maybe just a couple miles, I can rest my feet. my name is Betty by the way” she offered

“Fp Jones.” he pulled a helmet  out of the bag on the side of his bike. “ you can come home with me..” he started

Betty stepped back, her eyes searching frantically, fingers coming to grip the hunting knife in the side pocket of her backpack.  
Fp noticed the fear racing through Bettys body, he quickly shook his head.

“ No!.. god no! I didn’t mean it like that, I’m sorry, I just meant.. listen one of our trailers is open, we had one of our own run off with a Ghoulie, she’s not welcomed back and we’ve been looking for someone to fill the trailer. you can stay there for a bit.”   
Bettys eyes widened again 

“ I could never, how would I pay you? I don’t have work papers, I .. I have my license but.. its..” Betty scrambled, fingers clutching the shiny black helmet in her fingers.

Fp shook his head, getting  on the Harley and patting the space behind him  
“We’ll figure it out later, now hop on If I let those guys get too ahead of me lord knows the trouble they’d get in.”   
Without a second of hesitation Betty was wrapping her arms around the grown man with the heart of gold. The ride was short, not even thirty minutes when they pulled up to the trailer park “Sunnyside”.

Betty stepped off of the bike, her eyes falling to Fp who seemed to be waiting for her reaction   
“Sunnyside? how… appropriate?” she smiled, dimples peeking through the dust and dirt coating her cheeks.

Fp chuckled, a deep belly laugh as the two scanned the dark and dingy trailer park.  
“She aint much” he replied

Betty placed a hand to his forearm  
“Its perfect.” she whispered, eyes burning into the older mans.

“A good place to hide” He smiled softly, his voice filled with understanding.

“Yeah, a good place to hide.” she answered back, voice far away.

Fp took her to her trailer and apologized for the mess, apparently the woman before had been a pig, it was nothing Betty couldn’t handle and the clothes that she had left seemed to be Bettys size if not a little big.”

“you oughta come down to the Whyte Worm once you’re all settled, meet some people, get a decent meal in ya, you’re too damn small girl, I mean you..” his words were cut off when a pair of slender arms wrapped around his waist, dirty blonde hair pressing against his chest

“thank you Fp.” she whispered.

The gang member smiled softly. patting the girls head affectionately.  
“anytime kid.” and then he was gone, leaving Betty alone in the brand new trailer. a space of her own, a place she could sleep without fear of someone banging on her door to let them in , “they just wanted a taste of the pretty blonde”, No foster fathers using her as a punching bag, and no police to lie to, just a bed and four walls. it was perfect.

After an hour long shower, Betty found herself in front of a vanity mirror, her hair clean and loose fell around her shoulders as the soft blue tank top and army green skirt felt like melted cotton her skin. Betty wasn’t really one for makeup but the brand new Ruby Red Lipstick sitting on the corner of the desk called for her, if this was going to be her new life , at least for now, why couldn’t she be someone different, someone new?  
****************

“Where were you?! everyone else got back at least twenty minutes before you, God dad, with the Ghoulies out for blood you cant just be disappearing like that.” Jughead Jones stared angrily at his father, Combat boot tapping impatiently on the floor of the bar, arms crossed making his leather jacket stretch the material tight against the  sixteen year olds biceps. “Well? I’m waiting where were you?” he questioned again.

Fp couldn’t keep the smile off of his face as he watched his son scold him like a mother, he rested a heavy hand on the young serpents shoulder  
“ I had to pick something up.” He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows teasingly, watching his son get riled up was his favorite past time.

“what?! pick up what? Dad!” Jughead called after the man who was currently sliding behind the bar.

Jughead Jones was essentially Serpent Royalty, the younger Serpents looked up to him , he was their faithful leader, a deep set mystery to the boy that had everyone trying to figure him out. He was fearless and angry but smart and fierce, traits he had gained from his father. The sadness he carried on his shoulders spoke of loss and pain, insecurity and darkness. He was handsome, dangerously so and yet  he was always on his own, the girls followed him around but he showed no interest, he was focused on the Serpents on carrying his fathers legacy. plus.. he was too damaged, too much baggage.

“Turn around, you’ll see what I picked up.” his father winked, shouting over the ruckus of the bar.

It was almost like slow motion as Jughead turned around, he saw her instantly, the dim light of the bar like a halo above her. She was beautiful, a vision of honey blonde hair and long tan legs, her lips painted Cherry red and her eyes the deepest shade of meadow green. she was beautiful, the way she walked through the bar  dodging and gliding past the rowdy drunks and angry females glaring her way, he had never seen someone like her, never seen the fierce determination in someone’s eyes, never seen the matching sorrow buried deep behind a nervous smile. It was like looking in a mirror, his heart stirred, a heavy sharp throbbing,  one he’d never felt before.

and…  
she was heading right towards him.

“oh shit” he mumbled


	2. Chapter 2

She wasn’t scared, not even a little. Betty Cooper had spent her entire life being terrified and she was damn tired of the constant tightness in her chest, a bar filled with rough looking men in leather jackets wasn’t going to send her cowering, not now and not ever. Plus, she had new clothes, clean hair and a stomach filled with fresh fruit someone had left for her while she was in the shower, It had been so long since shed eaten anything that wasn’t from a can or a paper bag the shiny green apple almost tasted bitter against her tongue,  if she wasn’t ready for whatever came her way right now, well then  she never would be.

She saw him first, something drawing her to the knitted grey beanie shaped like a crown, the glaring snake  on his back and the tuft of jet black hair sticking out from underneath the high collar of his leather jacket. Bettys feet were carrying her towards the boy on their own accord, a determined swish in her hips as she stepped through groups of confused teenage girls and impressed older men.

He turned around so suddenly the intensity of the boys grey blue eyes  had her stumbling slightly, he was handsome there was no denying that, from his wavy black hair to the spattering of birth marks dancing across his cheeks and chin. He looked dangerous, the kind of boy Betty had read about in the teen magazines they kept stocked in the bus station waiting area, he was nothing like the boys who wanted to take her out in Tallahassee, all dirty  hands and leering eyes . Despite his positively James dean stature there was something else about him, so glaringly familiar.

She was in front of him now, her hands dipping into the pockets of her skirt, he was staring at her, eyes wide and alert and maybe.. did he almost look nervous? No, it was a stupid question, Betty Cooper was not the kind of girl boys get nervous over, that territory was reserved for the girl watching them in the corner with the purple hair and see through top.

“ Hi.” she smiled “ I’m looking for Fp Jones? he told me to meet him here?”

The boy in front of her seemed to be taken aback before his shoulders relaxed and the hint of a smile graced his features

“Join the club.” he mumbled.

“Excuse me?” Betty shouted over the rumble of the crowd, leaning in closer

he grinned “I said Join the club, I’m constantly looking for my dad. it doesn’t get any easier, I’m Jughead Jones. The Fp you’re looking for is my dad and unfortunately once he disappears behind the bar he’s gone for good.” Jughead shrugged apologetically, sticking his hand out for her to shake. Betty gripped it gratefully

“Its nice to meet you Jughead Jones, I’m Betty Cooper.”

A bottle smashed loudly to her right, she whipped around nearly falling over when she came face to face with a boy about her age, black hair similar to Jugheads, his eyes however didn’t hold the same warmth, his held something much darker.

“And who do we have here?” he grinned, a sickeningly sinister smile. “Names Sweetpea, you can call me yours for the night though” 

Betty knew men like this boy, the ignorance  dripped off of him in buckets and his cocky ego was easy to spot miles away. shed grown up around these type of men and she knew very well just what they were capable of.

“I’m Betty Cooper and I think..” Betty bent down, picking up the bottom of the shattered beer bottle and placing it back in his hand “ You dropped this, you might want to be careful, someone could get really hurt with all that glass. slip, fall ,get brain damage, surely you can be sympathetic to that right? being a victim of brain damage yourself.” her eyes were trained on his and she vaguely registered the deep chuckle coming from behind her, It seemed to take Sweetpea by surprise as well as the rest of the Serpents as they watched the boy behind her cross his arms, a satisfied smile on his face, they weren’t afraid of Sweetpea they were afraid of.. Jughead?

“You oughta watch your mouth Sweetheart, you’re new here and you don’t know who you’re talking to.” he bit out through gritted teeth. 

Betty didn’t back down she only stepped closer  
“ ah I see, short term memory, another symptom of the brain damage. I happen to know exactly who I’m talking to, I believe you said your name is Sweetpea?” 

The angry Serpent growled taking a step towards her before a familiar Booming voice spoke from behind her “Take one more step, I dare you.”

The bar went silent , everyone shocked at their leaders outburst, Sweetpea stopped mid step, his eyebrows scrunching in confusion.  
“Jughe..”

Jughead cut him off “you don’t touch her, clearly she can take care of herself but I have no problem making sure she doesn’t have to. you don’t come near her unless she wants you too and that’s an order.” there was no room for argument and Sweetpea didn’t have a chance to start one before he was being pulled outside by a senior Serpent, a leaders order is law it was the number one rule of the Serpents.

“Take a walk with me.” Jughead mumbled low in her ear as his hand found its space on the small of her back gently pushing her out the doors of the Smokey bar.

****  
He really had no idea what had gotten into him , why he snapped like that, pulled rank, all he knew was that he didn’t regret it, he’d do it allover again if it meant getting Sweetpeas eyes off of her.

“I’m sorry about that ..in there.. I didn’t mean to.. get all caveman..” 

The tiny blonde to his right giggled  
“don’t apologize, no ones ever stood up for me before. Thank you for that. he’s just another jerk, nothing I cant handle.” she smiled up at him

“We’re not all like that Just so you know, the Southside has been fighting a battle we’re destined to lose for as long as I can remember , some people rise to the challenge  and others.. well they turn into Sweetpea.” Jughead rolled his eyes, a tired smile on his lips.

Betty nodded, her eyes finding his, so full of understanding it made his heart stutter.

“I know a little about fighting the fight.” She whispered.

He didn’t know her, didn’t know her favorite color, her middle name, how she took her coffee, he didn’t know her but .. maybe he did. He didn’t know everything, or really anything but he did know that she smelt like vanilla and  apples, he knew that she was strong and fiery and that  her hair was almost gold under the broken street lights in his small part of town. Betty broke the silence

“your town has two sides? We’re on the south right? How is the North?” she questioned, her shoulders shivering slightly.  
Jugheads jacket was off and around her shoulders in seconds flat, the heavy leather swallowing her tiny frame as she looked up with grateful deep green eyes.

“The north is…different, its quiet. My best friend and his girl live on the Northside, its not so bad. The Northside.. they don’t really except people like us, its been like that forever but they don’t bother us as long as we both stick to our sides.” He told stories of his childhood best friend Archie and his crazy rich girlfriend, by the time they arrived at Bettys trailer both of the teens cheeks were sore from smiling.

Betty giggled, resting her back against the trailer door, her hands moving to remove the jacket on her shoulders

“Keep it, I’ll get it tomorrow when I take you to breakfast” Jughead blushed “ if that’s okay with you.”

she smiled at him, stepping forward and pressing a kiss to his cheek  
“Breakfast sounds great. I’ll see you tomorrow.” and then she was gone, disappearing through the trailer door.

He stood there for a few minutes staring at the door, a grin splitting his cheeks, he hadn’t smiled this much for as long as he could remember and damn it felt good.

“She’s something else isn’t she?”

Jughead turned around quickly, his eyes widening   
Fp Jones stood before him, a smirk gracing his features and an expectant look in his eyes.

“Dad..”


	3. Chapter 3

“Dad…” Jughead sighed, eyes instantly finding the ground, smile pulling from his face until the slow and steady grimace that was normally there found its place back on his handsome features.

“Beautiful night isn’t it?” Fp grinned, he lived for moments like this, any chance he could get to tease and taunt his son he would snatch up in a heartbeat. And the smile he had caught on his sons face just a moment ago? Oh that was ammo for at least a week. 

“We aren’t having this conversation right now.” Jughead breezed past the older man, rolling his eyes when Fp jogged to catch up.

“Or are we?” His father smirked.

“No. We definitely aren’t.” 

Fp sighed “come on! I’m your dad! We can talk about stuff like this, so you’ve got a crush, I don’t blame you, she’s a pretty young thing..”

“I don’t have a …crush..” Jughead turned to look at his dad “I walked her home that’s it, it’s dark and she’s new around here I was just helping her get home.” He mumbled, his hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

“And inviting her to meet your friends on a double date?” Fp turned to keep walking, a knowing grin still plastered on his face. 

“What? No! It’s not like that, I just figured she probably doesn’t have any food so I’d show her Pops, if Archie and Veronica are there… it’s not a date! What are you even… dad!” Jughead called speeding to catch up with his dad who was a few feet away. 

“Whatever you say boy, not a date, a date. Totally up to you, but a little fatherly advice? You saw the way those boys were looking at her in the bar, if you’re even a little interested it might do you good to let her know, a girl that good? She’ll be snatched up before you even have a chance to blink.” Fp waved a lazy hand at his son as he headed towards his own trailer before turning back and calling out “by the way, you’re coming with me to the vet tommorow, Hot dog has a cold and you know I don’t know any of that medical jargon, I need to know if they’re taking all my money.” With a wink he had dissapeared behind the metal trailer doors leaving Jughead staring blankly at the welcome mat on the porch.

A date? Was it a date? He had asked her, and it was a meal, but would she think it was a date? Did she expect him to bring her flowers? Is that what people did on dates? He was a Serpent, a gang member, he’d never been on a date, he’ll he’d never even spoken to a girl as beautiful as Betty Cooper. Okay so yeah, it was a date, he was going on a date with the prettiest and warmest blonde to ever grace these parts of town, there was just one thing on his mind,

What the hell was he going to wear?  
************

What the hell was she going to wear? 

Betty pushed through the tiny closet in her trailer, lacy lingerie and skin tight black leather seemed to be the only thing the previous occupant wore and that… well that wasn’t quite her style. 

She had to go shopping, she only had a bit of money saved up and it definitely wasn’t enough to buy her a new wardrobe. She would look for a job, they had a mechanics shop just a few miles south of the bar, she knew cars and bikes, she was good with them, scratch that she was great if she could get in there and make a few bucks that would be plenty.

As for now? She would just have to go with her tried and true yellow sundress. Growing up in foster homes there was never really anyone to take her shopping, she was lucky to get the hand me downs given to her by the older girls, but this dress? It was special, it was the only thing that was hers, the only thing she had ever been given. She could still remember the day so vividly,

It was spring time and the weather was warm, a breeze that seemed to settle in her bones, she was in a new foster home, the family was …nice, blonde like her and kind. A vast difference from the man who had taken her in last month. They seemed to care for her and she had stayed there for six months, longer than anything other foster family would keep her, one day they were shopping, her foster mom had a wedding to go to and they were looking for a dress when Betty saw it. it was beautiful, soft and flowy, casual yet beautiful and the kind of dress you saw the ladies in the posters on the doctors office wall wearing. She had loved it instantly and begged her foster mother to buy that one

“It’ll look pretty” betty had shrugged handing the garment over to the beautiful woman who had been watching over her. 

The woman had looked down at Betty’s shining eyes and pressed the dress closer to the thirteen year old. 

“Hmm, it is a little mature for someone your age but I’m sure you’ll grow into it, you keep it. My treat.” 

She had cried when they got home, silent waterfall tears as she held the dress In Her arms, burying her face in the soft material, tear stains leaking all over it. She had loved that family as much as a broken thirteen year old could but they had gotten pregnant and there just wasn’t enough space for two children, she still wondered about them though, how blessed there child must be. 

A slow and steady knock broke her out of her memories, she ran through the trailer, running her fingers through her blonde waves and slipping on the combat boots that were by the door. What? Who says you can’t wear a dress and a sturdy pair of boots. 

Taking a deep breathe, Betty braced herself at the front door, Okay it was just breakfast, nothing more, it couldn’t be a date, there was no way a boy like Jughead Jones would be asking her on a date, he felt bad is all, just wanted to help her and that… well that was enough. 

She opened the door quickly, her smile slipping from her face when he thrust a pair of daisies nearly into her nose.   
“Oh” She whispered, eyes widening at the flowers.

“Here.. I uhh… I don’t know.. it’s stupid.. do people even give their dates flowers anymore? I’m an idiot” the dark haired boy mumbled, his beanie absent from his head and a freshly washed dark blue flannel stretching across his arms. 

So it was a date. 

Oh my god it was date.

Betty swallowed, a genuine smile blossoming on her lips 

“I love them” She whispered, her eyes landing on his as he visibly relaxed, a pleased smile on his face. 

“Yeah well.. ya know, they’re pretty like you..” he winced as Betty giggled “god that was awful” he finished causing Betty to laugh even harder. “What do you say we go get breakfast and save me from embarrassing myself any more.” He reached his hand out taking hers and leading her to the bike, just as she was about to climb on he stopped her, raking his eyes over her choice of outfit and grinning.

“I love it.” He finally spoke, a look of adoration clear in his eyes.

“Thanks, I’m going for homecoming queen who also has to kick ass after the dance.” 

Jughead laughed, a deep real laugh that did things to Betty’s stomach. 

“My favorite kind of homecoming queen.” 

Apparently the north side wasn’t as far as she had expected, they made it to Pops in under ten minutes, just as she was getting use to the feel of her arms wrapped around Jugheads middle.

“So this is it. My second home.” Jughead grabbed the helmet out of her hands and gestures lazily to the empty parking lot of the Diner. 

“Very retro.” Betty grinned, walking ahead, excited to see the inside of the adorable restaurant. Before she got to far however, Jugheads hand found hers, she glanced down quickly and when she looked back up he was looking at her with a question in his eyes. He wanted to know if this was okay? was it too soon to hold her hand? Did she even want him to hold her hand? 

Betty squeezed his fingers reassuringly before gently tugging him through the clear glass of doors of Pops. 

“Wow.” She whispered, it was amazing, the entire place looked like it came right out of the 1950s, she had worked in Diners before but nothing like this. “It’s Beautiful!” She exclaimed

“Yeah, It is.” But he wasn’t admiring the leather booths or the authentic jukebox, his eyes were trained solely on her. 

“Hey Jug! Over here!” A voice called from a few booths away, a red haired boy was standing up and waving his arm while a beautiful black haired girl was tugging him down and rolling her eyes, this had to be Archie and Veronica. 

“Ready to enter the Belly of the beast” Jughead teased close to her ear. 

With a reassuring smile Betty and Jughead made their way over.


	4. Chapter 4

Veronica loved Betty, it was almost a magnetic bond that connected the two the instant Jughead introduced her. Veronica’s big brown eyes growing comically wide as she reached across the booth and gripped The beautiful blondes hand. 

“We’re soulmates.” She caught Betty’s anxious emerald eyes “I’m not kidding, I can feel it. We’re going to be best friends. Now your first job as my new best friend is to completely spill on your skin Care routine, your face looks like literal silk.” 

Jughead expected Betty to wiggle uncomfortably, stare up at him and ask him to leave, make a break for the swinging glass doors a few feet away, instead she squeezed the raven haired beauties hand tight and giggled

“I drink a lot of water.” 

And that was it...Something similar to a blood bond, girls discussing beauty routines... there was no going back from this and when Archie’s eyes found his across the booth Jughead had to stop himself from throwing his entire milkshake over the cocky redheads football jersey. After about an hour of Betty and Archie talking about football and Veronica planning shopping trips Jughead decided it was officially time to go. The hug Veronica wrapped around Betty was suffocating and when she finally managed to pry herself free she nearly tumbled right into Jugheads arms. 

Jughead led Betty through the front doors noticing how much softer she looked when she smiled, the way her dimples brushed her cheeks and her long eyelashes fluttered shading her sea foam eyes. He didn’t want to go back to reality, he didn’t want to go back to the Southside where the boys looked at her like they wanted to scoop her up and the the girls draped themselves over him like satin Curtains, he just wanted a little more time. 

Just a little bit. 

“Do you wanna take a walk?” 

Her shoulders seemed to settle, tension running through her fingers as she nodded quickly 

“Yes. Yeah.. I’d love too.” 

The way the back of her palm brushed his made his stomach leap and his heart stutter. It was quiet for a minute, neither wanting to break the comfortable silence that seemed to settle amongst the street signs and weeping willows lining the North Side sidewalks. Betty spoke first 

“Your friends are really great.” She offered, a smile on her lips that made her nose scrunch adorably. 

She was so damn pretty. 

“They’re okay.” He teased “they seemed to really like you.” 

The rose petal pink blush that crossed her cheeks made him smile.

“I’ve never had a real friend before.. certainly never one like that.” 

How could that be? Someone like her? Beautiful, strong, warm.. 

“You’ve never had a friend?” The words slipped from his mouth before he could stop them, realizing how rude he sounded he tried to fix it “I didn’t mean it like it sounded, I mean.. it’s not normal.. not that you’re not normal.. it’s just...” it was official she turned his brain to mush..

“I get it.” She stopped his rambling with a hand to his forearm, her fingers tugging on the cotton of his flannel, just add unreasonably understanding to her list of character traits. 

“I didn’t really have time to make friends, I had foster brothers and sisters but I never stayed long enough to keep any of them. There’s been so many I can’t hardly remember their names.” She shrugged her tiny shoulders, a tired smile on her lips. 

His heart broke, cracked in two and then shattered to pieces. His life hadn’t been easy, growing up a gang leaders son was a challenge but standing beside her, counting the tiny pink shaded scars on her cheeks and the cigarette burns on her arms? He knew that some how he would never be able to understand the pain she had gone through and that hurt.. it burned him to his core. 

“I had one foster brother, his name was max.” She giggled “he was pretty great, sometimes late at night we would hide under our beds when our foster dad came home drunk and he used to make trails, ya know peanuts..m&ms.. just a bunch of stuff and he would lead it right to the back door and my foster dad.. he would just go right outside, he really thought we were leaving a trail for him to come find us.. then max would lock the door and lock him out all night. It was the best.” 

Jughead laced their fingers together, smiling down at the beautiful blonde in the sundress beside him, she looked happy, content to remember. 

“What happened to max?” He questioned

The smile slipped from Betty’s lips and she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before opening them and training them on a street light a few feet away. 

“One day... one day my foster dad... well.. he didn’t follow the traps.” 

Jughead winced, he had grown up around abuse, his father had knocked him around a few times and most of the drunks on the Southside got off on laying their hands on their children watching his friends die in front of him was something he had unfortunately experienced, it was part of the Serpent lifestyle but still... her only friend.. all she had.

“I’m not letting anyone hurt you again.” 

Betty’s eyes snapped towards his, she took a step back when she caught his eyes burning into hers 

“Wh.. what?” 

“I’m not letting anyone hurt you anymore, I can promise you you’re safe with me.” He gripped both of her hands in his, there was such a primal urge to protect her, to wrap her up in his arms and keep her there forever. He was feeling things, things he had pushed aside for years, resigned to never let see the light but still thisbtiny slip of a girl... she made him feel and.. and it felt good. 

She pulled her right hand free, brushing her textured palm against his cheek 

“Don’t you get it? It’s never been me who I worry about it.”


End file.
